Sept. 8, 2006
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The TCU football team makes its 2006 home debut while also opening a stretch of three consecutive games at Amon G. Carter Stadium when it hosts UC Davis.
Horned Frog coach Gary Patterson has ties to UC Davis and Aggie coach
Bob Biggs. Patterson was the linebackers coach at UC Davis in 1986. Biggs
was also an assistant on the Aggies' staff that season.
UC Davis, ranked 19th in Division I-AA, defeated Stanford 20-17 last
year en route to its 36th-consecutive winning season.
The Frogs and Aggies are meeting for the first time on the gridiron.
UC Davis is TCU's first Division I-AA opponent since 2001, when the
Frogs faced Northwestern State.
THE STREAK
*TCU has won 11 in a row for the nation's second-longest current winning
streak, trailing only national champion Texas (21). It's the Frogs' longest
streak since winning 12 straight over the final two games in 2002 and the
opening 10 contests in 2003.
HOME OPENERS
*TCU has won four straight home openers and is 4-1 overall in those
games under coach Gary Patterson.
*Three of Patterson's five home openers went to overtime with TCU
winning twice.
*Since the start of the 2000 season, TCU is 29-4 (.879) in Amon Carter
Stadium. Included in that total are undefeated marks in four (2000, 2002,
2003, 2005) of those years which contributed to at least 10 wins in each
season.
*UC Davis is the first team from the state of California to play at Amon
Carter Stadium since Fresno State in 2000. The Frogs defeated the Bulldogs
24-7 in that contest.
HONORARY BIG 12 MEMBERS
*Since the start of the 2005 season, covering just 13 games, TCU is 3-0
versus the Big 12. With those three victories, the Frogs have equaled or
surpassed the Big 12 win totals posted by five of the league's current
members in that same time period.
*TCU has now opened two consecutive seasons with a road victory over a
Big 12 team. The Frogs defeated Oklahoma, 17-10, in last year's opener.
A LOOK BACK
*The 17-7 win at Baylor represented the largest margin of victory in a
TCU season opener since 2001. In each of the previous four debut contests,
the game was decided by seven points or less.
*Baylor was TCU's first intrastate season opener since the 1979
campaign, when the Frogs faced SMU.
*At 54-19 (.740), TCU has the 11th-best record in Division I-A since the
start of the 2000 campaign.
THE RANKINGS
*With a No. 21 appearance in the USA Today poll and a No. 22 spot in the
Associated Press Top 25, TCU posted its highest preseason rankings since it
was No. 20 by AP in 2000.
THE BCS
*The Frogs were 14th in the final 2005 BCS standings. It was the 20th
time TCU has appeared in the BCS standings, the most of any school playing
in a conference without an automatic BCS bid. Boise State and Utah are tied
for second at 12.
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
*Marcus Jackson, QB - Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the
Week (Sept. 3 vs. Baylor)
*Marvin White, S - Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Week(Sept. 3 vs. Baylor)
FROGS PROMINENT ON PRESEASON WATCH LISTS
*TCU has eight players on a total of 10 different preseason watch lists:
*Jeff Ballard, QB - Davey O¹Brien Award
*Tommy Blake, DE - Chuck Bednarik Award, Ted Hendricks Award, Lombardi
Trophy, Lott Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy
*Aaron Brown, TB - Doak Walker Award
*Chris Manfredini, PK - Lou Groza Award
* Robert Merrill, TB - Doak Walker Award
*Chase Ortiz, DE - Ted Hendricks Award, Lombardi Trophy, Bronko Nagurski
Trophy
*Jason Phillips, LB - Butkus Award
*Herb Taylor, OT - Lombardi Trophy, Outland Trophy
*TCU is one of just nine teams to have three candidates on the Lombardi
Award Watch List.
TCU¹S MAJOR AWARD RECIPIENTS
*Davey O'Brien, QB - 1938 Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award
*Michael Reeder, PK - 1995 Lou Groza Award
*LaDainian Tomlinson, TB - 2000 Doak Walker Award
FROGS AS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
*TCU is well represented on preseason All-America teams:
*Jeff Ballard, QB - Football Writers Association of America All-America
checklist
*Tommy Blake, DE - Athlon, Street & Smith's, The Sporting News
All-America checklist (No. 7 defensive end in the nation)
*Aaron Brown, TB - Football Writers Association of America All-America
checklist
*Robert Merrill, TB - Football Writers Association of America
All-America checklist
*Chase Ortiz, DE - Football Writers Association of America All-America
checklist
*Jason Phillips, LB - The Sporting News All-America checklist (No. 13
inside linebacker in the nation)
*Herb Taylor, OT - Athlon, Street & Smith's, NationalChamps.net,
Football Writers Association of America All-America checklist, The Sporting
News All-America checklist (No. 10 offensive tackle in the nation)
*Marvin White, S - The Sporting News All-America checklist (No. 6 safety
in the nation)
FROGS ON PRESEASON All-MWC TEAM
*TCU placed five players on the 2006 preseason All-Mountain West
Conference Team: defensive end Tommy Blake, defensive end Chase Ortiz,
linebacker Jason Phillips, offensive tackle Herb Taylor and safety Marvin
White.
*After having just one player (defensive tackle Ranorris Ray) on the
2005 preseason All-Mountain West Conference Team, TCU concluded the campaign with a league-best 18 selections on the postseason squad. No other school had more than 12.
MERRILL AND BALLARD AMONG THE BEST
*TCU tailback Robert Merrill is Division I-A's third-leading active
career rusher:
1. Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois - 3,407 yards
2. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma - 3,172 yards
3. Robert Merrill, TCU - 2,771 yards
I KNOW YOU
*TCU cornerback Justin Zavala and UC Davis running back Alex Garfio were
teammates in the 2003 and 2004 seasons at Ventura College. They are both
Ventura, Calif., natives.
IN WEEK TWO
*TCU is 4-1 in the second game of a season during the five-year tenure
of coach Gary Patterson. The lone defeat came last year at SMU.
THE MISSING
*TCU won at Baylor despite playing the second half without starting
quarterback Jeff Ballard and missing four key offensive players to injury:
tailbacks Lonta Hobbs and Robert Merrill, wide receiver Michael DePriest and offensive tackle Heath Raetz.
DEJA VU
*In relief roles, the numbers of Jeff Ballard in last year's 51-50
overtime win at BYU and Marcus Jackson in last week¹s second-half comeback
at Baylor are very similar:
Ballard - 8-of-12 passing (75.0 percent), 150 yards, 2 TDs
Jackson - 11-of-13 passing (84.6 percent), 148 yards, 2 TDs
*Jackson was two attempts shy (a minimum of 15 is required) of qualifying for the second-best single-game completion percentage in TCU history. The current mark is held by Max Knake who was 13-of-15 (86.7 percent) in a 27-25 win over Rice in 1994.
THE CENTURY MARK
*Tailback Aaron Brown's 107 yards receiving at Baylor were the most by a
Frog since Cory Rodgers totaled 128 yards on six catches in a 48-10 win at
Air Force last season (Oct. 22).
*Brown became the first TCU running back to reach 100 yards receiving in
a game since Andre Davis had four receptions for 109 yards in a 30-28 win at Tulane on Oct. 15, 1994.
LONG-DISTANCE FROGS
*TCU has had 84-yard touchdown passes in back-to-back games, tying for
the seventh-longest passing plays in Frog history.
*Jeff Ballard and Michael DePriest connected on an 84-yard scoring toss
in the 2005 Houston Bowl win over Iowa State, while Marcus Jackson and Aaron Brown did the same in last week's victory at Baylor.
STUFFING THE RUN
*Over its last four games, dating back to the 2005 campaign, TCU¹s run
defense is allowing just 36.3 yards per game on a 1.4 per carry mark.
*The Frogs allowed only 2.8 yards per rush attempt last season, ranking
eighth in the nation.
*The top three single-season TCU opponent pass attempt totals have come
in the last three years.
WHITE WREAKS HAVOC
*TCU safety Marvin White set a career-high with 14 tackles at Baylor,
nearly three times the amount of the next-closest Frogs. David Roach, Eric
Buchanan and Robert Henson had five stops.
*White's 14 tackles also doubled the top mark by a Baylor player.
SPECIAL TEAMS STANDOUTS
*After leading the Mountain West Conference last season in kickoff and
punt returns, TCU continued where it left off in the season-opening 17-10
win at Baylor.
*Donald Massey returned the second-half kickoff 69 yards, more than
double his next-longest career return (33 yards). Marcus Brock, after being
sidelined by injury in the 2005 campaign, returned to action and had a
36-yard punt return.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
*Nine Frogs combined for TCU¹s 18 receptions in the 17-7 victory at
Baylor.
*Quentily Harmon led the way with five catches for a career-best 96
yards, bettering his previous high mark of 87 yards on five receptions in a
2004 contest at Texas Tech. The five grabs were one shy of a career-best six set last year at BYU.
MEMORABLE FIRSTS
*Last week¹s 17-7 victory at Baylor was sealed on a 3-yard scoring
reception by Quinton Cunigan for his first collegiate catch. Cunigan later
added a 6-yard grab in the game.
*In last year¹s 17-10 season-opening win at Oklahoma, Derek Moore was on
the receiving end of a 16-yard touchdown reception for the first points of
the game. It was also his first career catch.
NEW FACES
*While preseason All-America and Lombardi and Outland Trophy candidate
Herb Taylor made his 37th consecutive start, representing every TCU game
over the last four years, the other four starters (OG Maurice Bouldwin, OG
Matty Lindner, C Blake Schlueter, OT Wade Sisk) on the Frog offensive line
made their first collegiate starts.
*When including wide receivers Ervin Dickerson and Donald Massey, TCU
had six first-time starters on its offensive unit last week at Baylor.
*The defense had three first-time starters (DT Cody Moore, CB Rafael
Priest and CB Nick Sanders) while nose tackle Jarrarcea Williams made his
first start since the final two games of the 2004 campaign.
SPLITTING THE UPRIGHTS
*TCU placekicker and Lou Groza Award candidate Chris Manfredini had a
27-yard field goal at Baylor, making him 14-of-14 in his two seasons with
the Frogs and 24-of-25 (96.0 percent) in his collegiate career. He was
10-of-11 on field goals for Cincinnati in 2003.
FINDING THE END ZONE
*Peter LoCoco, who doubles as TCU¹s long-range field goal kicker, had
touchbacks on two of his four kickoffs at Baylor.
*Over the last nine games in 2005, LoCoco had touchbacks on 27-of-63
(42.9 percent) of his kickoffs.
IN THE ZONE
*TCU produced points on both its trips into the red zone at Baylor. The
Frogs had a 27-yard Chris Manfredini field goal and a 3-yard Marcus Jackson
touchdown pass to Quinton Cunigan.
*Defensively, Chase Ortiz recorded an interception on Baylor¹s lone trip
inside the red zone.
STREAKS SNAPPED
*TCU saw its streak of scoring in the first quarter snapped at nine
games in the Baylor contest. The Frogs were held scoreless in the opening 15 minutes for the first time since Sept. 15, 2005 versus Utah.
*TCU had scored first in eight consecutive games before Baylor snapped
the streak with a 21-yard second quarter touchdown pass from Shawn Bell to
Mikail Baker. The last time a TCU opponent scored first was BYU on Sept. 24, 2005.
FROGS OR TADPOLES
*TCU played three true freshmen at Baylor: offensive tackle Marshall
Newhouse and defensive ends Wayne Daniels and Jerry Hughes.
*The Frogs tied for fourth nationally last season in their number of
freshmen (21) played. Sixteen were redshirt freshmen with five true
freshmen.
PATTERSON MILESTONES
*Gary Patterson is the only head coach in TCU history with three 10-win
seasons (2002, 2003 and 2005).
*With a .710 winning percentage (44-18), Patterson ranks 16th among
active coaches in Division I-A. He has taken part in half of the eight
10-win campaigns in TCU¹s history. He was defensive coordinator under Dennis Franchione during a 10-2 campaign in 2000.
*Prior to Patterson¹s arrival, the only 10-win seasons at TCU were
recorded in the 1930s. Francis A. Schmidt led the Horned Frogs to 10-0-1 and 10-1-1 marks, respectively, in 1932 and 1933. Dutch Meyer then guided TCU to its national championship seasons in 1935 (12-1) and 1938 (11-0).
HE'S HERE TO STAY
*At a Nov. 22, 2005 news conference, TCU athletics director Danny
Morrison announced that football coach Gary Patterson agreed to a contract
extension through the 2012 season.
AN EXPERIENCED STAFF
*TCU returned its entire coaching staff from the 2005 season.
*The Frogs are one of just four teams (N.C. State, Oklahoma, Temple) in
Division I-A to have all 10 of their coaches play Division I football. Eight members of the TCU staff competed on the Division I-A level with two in I-AA.
SACK MASTERS
*Since 1999, TCU ranks fourth in the nation in sacks:
1. Oklahoma - 295
2. USC - 281
3. California -273
4. TCU - 269
5. Louisville - 266
*The Frogs topped the Mountain West Conference with 41 sacks last
season.
*Since 1999, TCU's 107 interceptions rank in a tie for 14th nationally.
A SPECIAL BACKFIELD
*TCU¹s trio of Aaron Brown, Lonta Hobbs and Robert Merrill have been
ranked by The Sporting News as the fourth-best backfield in the nation.
*Merrill (2,771 yards) and Hobbs (2,406) rank sixth and ninth,
respectively, on TCU¹s career rushing list. Merrill needs just 13 yards to
move past Basil Mitchell (2,783 yards, 1994-98) into fifth place.
*Merrill has led TCU in rushing in each of the last three seasons.
*Brown, Hobbs and Merrill also make the Frogs one of just 13 teams in
Division I-A to have three players with 100-yard rushing games on their
resume.
THE CENTURY MARK
*Tailbacks Lonta Hobbs and Robert Merrill are tied for seventh in TCU
history with 10 100-yard rushing games. They sit one behind 1955 Heisman
Trophy runner-up Jim Swink who had 11 100-yard efforts.
*TCU is 8-2 when Merrill rushes for at least 100 yards and 7-3 when
Hobbs reaches the milestone. The Frogs are 3-0 when Brown hits the century
mark.
*Merrill and Hobbs have reached 100 yards in the same game on one
occasion, a 62-55 win at Houston in 2003. Merrill ran for a career-high 204
yards on 22 carries, while Hobbs added 102 yards on 22 attempts.
A SPECIAL FROG
*Former TCU tailback and current National Football League star LaDainian
Tomlinson was named to CBS SportsLine.com¹s All-Decade Team. He was joined
in the All-Decade backfield by former USC standouts Matt Leinart and Reggie
Bush.
*The Web site wrote of Tomlinson, ³Before he started running wild with
the San Diego Chargers, Tomlinson was an excellent college player at TCU.²
*Tomlinson rushed for a combined 4,008 yards in his final two years of
college, including 2,158 as a senior. He ran for an NCAA single-game record
406 yards versus UTEP in 1999 and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation¹s
top running back in 2000. Tomlinson, who has earned his TCU degree, had his
No. 5 jersey honored by the Frogs last season.
OFFENSIVE BREAKTHROUGHS
*TCU¹s 50 touchdowns in 2005 set a new single-season school record. The
previous mark was 49 in 2000. With 48 touchdowns in 2004, the Frogs have
recorded their top three single-season touchdown totals in school history
over the last six years with Mike Schultz as offensive coordinator.
*During that same period, TCU has had three of its top four
single-season point totals. TCU's 398 points in 2005 represented the
second-best mark in school history, trailing only the 410 in 2000.
DEFENSIVE NOTABLES
*TCU led the nation last season in turnover margin (1.75, +21),
interceptions (26) and takeaways (40).
VERSATILE FROGS
*The TCU defensive line features five former high school running backs:
Tommy Blake, Jerry Hughes, Cody Moore, Jared Retkofsky and Jarrarcea
Williams.
OUTRIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS
*The 2005 campaign saw TCU capture its first outright conference title
since 1958.
*The Horned Frogs have taken part in conference championships in four
different leagues over the last 12 years.
*Prior to last season, the five previous conference titles for TCU had
been shared. TCU was co-champions of the Southwest Conference in 1959 and
1994, while also sharing a pair of Western Athletic Conference titles (1999, 2000) and a Conference USA championship (2002).
PERFECTION
*With an 8-0 record in its debut season in the Mountain West Conference
last year, TCU posted its first undefeated conference record (8-0) since the 1938 national championship team swept through the Southwest Conference.
*The 2005 Frogs were just the fourth team in school history to go
through a season undefeated in league play, joining the 1938 and 1932
Southwest Conference squads as well as the 1920 team that was unblemished in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
A FOURTH-QUARTER TEAM
*TCU outscored Baylor 7-0 in the fourth quarter, continuing a trend of
strong performances over the final 15 minutes of a game.
*TCU¹s best defensive effort last season came in the fourth quarter as
the Frogs allowed just 31 points in 12 contests (2.6 per game).
*During that time, TCU more than doubled the point total of the
opposition (69-31).
ALSO A FIRST-QUARTER TEAM
*Over the last eight games of the 2005 campaign, TCU outscored its
opponents 110-16 in the first quarter.
*TCU's highest offensive output last season was in the opening quarter
with a 123-44 edge on the opposition.
WHERE TO FIND THE TCU ASSISTANTS
*Press Box: Mike Schultz (offensive coordinator/running backs), Dick
Winder (quarterbacks), Tony Tademy (linebackers) and Chad Glasgow
(safeties).
*Field: Dick Bumpas (defensive coordinator/defensive line), Charles
McMillian (cornerbacks), Jarrett Anderson (wide receivers), Dan Sharp (tight ends/special teams) and Eddie Williamson (assistant head coach/offensive line).
NFL DRAFT PICKS FROM MWC TEAMS
*TCU 163, San Diego State 133, BYU 131, Utah 123, Colorado State 93,
Wyoming 75, New Mexico 59, UNLV 40, Air Force 7.
GETTING ON THE BOARD
*TCU scored first in 10 of its 12 games last season and has been first
with points on the board in 12 of 15 contests dating back to 2004.
*Since the start of the 2002 season, the Frogs have been first on the
scoreboard in 73.5 percent (36-of-49) of their games.
WIN-LOSS UPDATES
*After just three winning seasons in 13 years (1985-97), TCU has won
nearly 70 percent of its games (69-29, .704) since the start of the 1998
campaign when head coach Gary Patterson arrived on campus.
*TCU has an all-time record of 528-502-57 (.512) in its football history
which began in 1896.
THE GRADUATE
*TCU starting tight end Chad Andrus began graduate work this fall.
FAMILIAR NUMBERS
*Aaron Brown is wearing the same jersey number (23) as former TCU
standout Jim Swink, a consensus All-America selection and the runner-up for
the 1955 Heisman Trophy.
QUARTERBACK U
*Five of the top-six career completion percentage leaders for TCU have
played in the last five seasons:
1. Jeff Ballard - 59.5 (2004-06)
2. Sean Stilley - 57.9 (1999-02)
3. Brandon Hassell - 56.7 (2003-04)
4. Casey Printers - 56.1 (1999-01)
5. Max Knake - 55.8 (1992-95)
6. Tye Gunn - 55.0 (2002-05)
ROCK STAR/COACH?
*During the offseason, TCU coach and guitarist/singer Gary Patterson
will perform all genres of music in local concerts. In one setting for
children, he did a memorable rendition of "Old McDonald had a farm."
*Patterson has 9,200 songs downloaded into his iPod.
OVERTIME FIXTURES
*TCU is tied with Clemson for playing the most overtime games (six)
since the start of the 2001 season.
*Since the NCAA adopted overtime play in 1996, TCU has been involved in
the third-most OT contests (nine) in Division I-A.
*TCU is 5-4 all-time in overtime.
CLOSE CALLS
*Dating back to the 2003 campaign, 18 of TCU¹s last 37 games have been
decided by seven points or less. The Frogs are 15-3 in those contests,
including 5-0 last year.
FINDING THE SCOREBOARD
*At 165 games, TCU currently has the seventh-longest streak in the
nation for not being shut out. The Frogs haven¹t been blanked since a 32-0
defeat at Texas on Nov. 16, 1991.
TV DARLINGS
*TCU played in a nationally-televised season opener for the sixth
straight season:
2001 - Nebraska 21, TCU 7 (ABC)
2002 - Cincinnati 36, TCU 29 (OT, ESPN)
2003 - TCU 38, Tulane 35 (ESPN)
2004 - TCU 48, Northwestern 45 (2 OT, ESPN2)
2005 - TCU 17, Oklahoma 10 (ABC)
2006 - TCU 17, Baylor 7 (FSN)
FROGS AND THE NFL
*In Gary Patterson¹s five-year tenure as head coach, TCU has had 14
players drafted with a total of 25 in NFL camps.
*Seven players from last year's Frog team were in NFL camps: Cory
Rodgers (WR, fourth-round draft pick, Green Bay), Michael Toudouze (OT,
fifth-round draft pick, Indianapolis), Drew Coleman (CB, sixth-round draft
pick, New York Jets), Quincy Butler (CB, free-agent, Dallas), Tye Gunn (QB,
free-agent, Chicago), Jeremy Modkins (S, free-agent, Green Bay), defensive
tackle Ranorris Ray (DT, free-agent, Dallas)
*Five other former Horned Frogs are currently active in the NFL: Anthony
Alabi (OT, Miami), Robert Pollard (DE, Seattle), Aaron Schobel (DE,
Buffalo), Matt Schobel (TE, Philadelphia), LaDainian Tomlinson (RB, San
Diego) and Ryan Tucker (OL, Cleveland).
DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE
*The Frogs have been the nation's top-ranked defense twice in coach Gary
Patterson¹s eight years on the TCU campus. Overall, the Frogs have been in
the top five in the nation in total defense three times in Patterson's
tenure.
TCU AND THE HEISMAN
*In 1938, quarterback Davey O'Brien became the first player from TCU and
the Southwest Conference to capture the Heisman Trophy. O'Brien¹s legacy
continues to this day as his name dons the trophy awarded each year to the
most outstanding quarterback in the country.
*In the 70-year history of the Heisman Trophy, five Frogs (O'Brien;
Sammy Baugh, 4th - 1936; Jim Swink, 2nd - 1955; Kenneth Davis, 5th - 1984;
LaDainian Tomlinson, 4th - 2000) have finished in the top five in voting.
TCU AMONG MOST STORIED PROGRAMS
*TCU was ranked 39th in Street & Smith's listing of the 50 Greatest
College Football Programs of All Time.
*Selections were based on the following: national championships,
undefeated seasons, major bowl wins, major bowl appearances, conference
championships, overall won-loss percentage, graduation rate, All-Americans,
Heisman Trophy winners, No. 1 overall NFL draft picks, NCAA infractions and
mascot ferocity.
*The Horned Frogs have produced two national championship teams (1935,
1938), a Heisman Trophy winner (Davey O'Brien, 1938) and four others to
finish in the top five in voting (Sammy Baugh, 4th - 1936; Jim Swink, 2nd -
1955; Kenneth Davis, 5th - 1984; LaDainian Tomlinson, 4th - 2000).
*TCU has posted four 10-win campaigns in the past six years and advanced
to seven bowl games in the last eight seasons.
BAUGH TO HAVE NUMBER RETIRED
*Former TCU signal caller Sammy Baugh, named by Geico last year as
college football¹s greatest quarterback, will have his Sweetwater High
School jersey No. 21 retired on Friday. The ceremony will take place during
the Sweetwater-Brownwood game at the annual TSTC West Texas Sammy Baugh
Classic.
*Baugh already had jersey numbers retired by TCU (45) and the Washington
Redskins (33).
THE BIG FOOT
*Brian Cortney had a 58-yard punt in the first quarter at Baylor, just
two yards shy of a career-long 60-yard boot in last year's opener at
Oklahoma.
MASSEY REGAINS YEAR
*TCU wide receiver Donald Massey has been granted a medical redshirt
after playing in just two games as a true freshman in 2004. He is now a
sophomore in eligibility.
THE IRONMAN
*Offensive tackle Herb Taylor¹s 37 consecutive starts, representing
every TCU game over the last four seasons, is tied for the seventh-longest
current streak in Division I-A.
DEFENDING THE PASS
*TCU surrendered just 14 touchdown passes in its 12 games a year ago
with five of those scoring tosses coming from BYU. In the Frogs' other 11
contests, TCU opponents passed for just nine touchdowns.
